Michael Appleby enjoyed the biggest success of his training career when his bargain-basement buy Art Scholar won the Betfred November Handicap at Doncaster.

Picked up for £600 at the Ascot Sales in the spring of last year, the five-year-old was a spare ride for Franny Norton, who replaced the ill Darryll Holland.

And the Liverpudlian produced the 20-1 shot to perfection inside the final furlong to beat Communicator by three-quarters of a length, with Voodoo Prince a length away third and Samba King fourth.

Newark-based Appleby, celebrating his 37th winner of the campaign, said: "Darryll wasn't very well so we got Franny.

"I bought him at Ascot Sales for £600. He came from Gary Moore and was rated 49 when we got him. I'd been watching him at Brighton in April last year when he was behind one of my horses over seven furlongs. On breeding I thought he'd stay a mile-two and a mile-four.

"He's improving and I think he'll be even better next year. I ride him out and he's a character. We might take him out to Dubai in the winter."

Norton said: "It's the last big handicap of the year, so it's nice to get it in the bag. I knew nothing about the horse. It was a late spare ride. It all unfolded nicely for me. When I asked him to go, he did it well.

"It's been a good year. I got a lengthy ban, we got over that and it's ended with a bang."

Norton completed a double in the final race of the Flat turf season, taking the Betfred 'The Bonus King' Handicap on Tartiflette (10-1) for trainer Ed McMahon.